If you’re looking for kitchen design inspiration, below is a list of my favorite trends for 2014. Remember, you can subscribe to receive Kitchen Views blogs via email. Look at the top of the right-hand column to find the place to sign-up. In the weeks to come, we’ll be discussing these trends and providing inspiring photos.

1) Transitional design is growing in popularity. Even with traditional design having a strong arm here in New England, consumers want sleek, clean lines rather than a great deal of detail in the doors.

2) Neutrals, which have played a large role as wall colors, have now jumped into kitchen cabinet finishes. Greys, grey/whites, putty and tans are now preferred colors over pure white for cabinets.

3) Large single bowl sinks still reign king, but now with more interesting materials and textures. Copper, polished chrome, fireclay and soapstone are a few fun finishes consumers are putting in their kitchens.

4) Glass mosaic backsplash is sold everywhere now, but the 2014 twist is to have a single pane of glass with the back painted in any accent color you wish. It is easier to keep clean as it has no grout lines, and it is a sleeker look.

5) Access to Wi-Fi is a must for the kitchen area. More consumers work from their islands, look up recipes on their kindles and they are checking their favorite social media pages over coffee in the morning.

6) Multiple refrigeration is key for the many different diets consumers are following in their homes. From Paleo, Vegetarian, Vegan, to Gluten free and my personal favorite, wineo, you need to plan for different ways to preserve foods. Different humidity levels are key with vegetables and grains while light and temperature are critical to wine and cheese.

Contact Kitchen Views at 1-508-DESIGNS (337-4467) to arrange a personal consultation with a designer who will guide your design journey to a new kitchen you will enjoy for years to come.

“Where the designers are pros, and the views are yours.” That is our motto here at Kitchen Views. We are here to design for you with integrity and the highest quality products possible.

This summer, we hosted an open house style RV showroom displaying counter materials from Cosentino. They drove to Mansfield and parked their RV in our lot and were there to meet with designers, builders, and homeowners about their different product lines. Most recently, the KV designers met with various vendors to see what is trending for 2014. Here are a couple of examples from the evening.

Cabinets – The designers at KV joined cabinet dealers to take a look at new product on the NKBA‘s Boston Harbor Cruise. Cabinet vendors showed the designers the new textured doors and rich grays that are available for 2014. Kitchen Views stays ahead of the curve by making sure new product is available to customers right away. Contractors that work with KV enjoy the fact that their customers are getting the most current products on the market.

Counters – Countertop material has changed dramatically in the marketplace. New finish processes prevent staining more than ever. The designers tested the new SileStone Suede finish by attempting to scratch and stain it.

Each designer took a different approach to test the material to make sure customers were going to be satisfied with overall durability. Some attempted to scratch it with glass, knifes and tile. Others tried to stain it with cherries, red wine and soda. The product performed exceptionally well and KV will be displaying the new product in the Newton store next month. These types of meetings give the designers a real trial of how these products will perform in the field.

KV Designers John Allen and Lee Turner converse with Jim and Merry from Cosentino about the quality of their new product line.

It is our duty to those we service to research various products and find those that consistently match the quality we expect to deliver to our customers.

If you would like more information on how our designers can assist you, or if you have questions on the products we carry, feel free to visit or call a Kitchen Views showroom closest to you, or visit our website at kitchenviews.com.

An important consideration when planning to remodel your kitchen is how much time you plan to spend cleaning and maintaining the cabinetry. It will only look beautiful for years to come if you care for it on a regular basis. With today’s hectic lifestyles, few people want to spend their precious free time cleaning. Of course, if you can afford it, you could hire someone to do this work. But for the moment, let’s say that’s not an option.

White cabinetry is very popular, and one type of white cabinetry is particularly easy to clean. Thermofoil cabinets are an easily maintained product. Sleek and smooth-surfaced, Thermofoil cabinetry from Schrock offers a sophisticated appearance along with exceptional durability and ease of maintenance for today’s hard-working kitchen. You should be aware that White and Cashmere color may change slightly over time, depending on environmental conditions.

Thermofoil is a process where heat and pressure are used to bond a thin layer of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) film to a shaped and glued component made from MDF (medium density fiberboard). The result is a seamless surface that covers a panel’s face and edges. The component back uses a white, seamless melamine surface – excellent for easy cleaning.

Cleaning guidelines from Schrock Cabinetry:
A soft cotton cloth dampened with warm water is usually sufficient to clean your cabinets. If more thorough cleaning is required, please use a fresh solution of mild hand dishwashing liquid mixed with warm water. After cleaning, wipe all surfaces with a clean, damp cloth. Dry immediately using another soft, clean cloth. Click here to read more, such as cleaning products to avoid.

Next time, we’ll talk about easy to clean and maintain countertop material.

The island has become the centerpiece of many kitchen designs today, and even with all of the great storage solutions and cabinetry options out there, you may be looking for that final piece to make your kitchen feel complete. One possible option is to use an island end cap piece from KraftMaid Cabinetry. You can finish a peninsula, an island, or an end run of cabinets with this two-legged storage piece. KraftMaid’s Island End Caps arrive as a single piece for easy installation, and you can top it with any counter you wish. Island End Caps come in a variety of sizes and styles, including the tapered-leg Garrison Maple in Mushroom (shown above).

Carefully designed with attention to every beautiful detail, KraftMaid Island End Caps are available in a variety of widths and depths, with a wide selection of doors, drawers and leg styles to create a furniture piece that offers great functionality and fits your style.

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Regardless of which cabinet manufacturer you choose to supply your new kitchen, one of the most important decisions you will make during the design process at Kitchen Views is choosing the door style and finish color for your new kitchen. Here is a very helpful hint. Once you have made your selection, arrange to sign out a sample door in the style and color you have chosen and take it home with you. Showroom lighting can be dramatic and varied and is not always similar to that of a normal residence.

Sometimes a finish color may not look the same in the showroom as it does at home. So, bring that sample home for a few days so that you can look at it carefully on a sunny day, a cloudy day, and at night when the lights are on. This way you can be certain you will be satisfied with the color once your new cabinets are installed. Every so often, I have had a customer come back and tell me that the sample looked “different” when they got it home, and, in a few instances, I have had clients change their color selection as a result. As the old saying goes, “better safe than sorry”.

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While price point is an important factor in choosing the cabinetry that will fit into your home, it’s also important to consider the various levels of personalization and customization available in the three main categories of cabinets: standard, semi-custom, and custom.

Aristokraft Laminate Cabinets

Standard Cabinetry, sometimes referred to as stock cabinetry, is typically offered in a limited variety of sizes, styles, and finishes with a choice of options that are often categorized as “good, better, and best.” Short lead-times, easy installation, and affordability, make this an appealing selection for the budget-conscious consumer. Kitchen Views carries a wide variety of these lines: Aristokraft, HomeCrest, Merillat, and many others.

Dynasty by Omega Cabinets

Semi-Custom Cabinetry is constructed with higher-quality materials than standard; and offers a broader selection of door styles and finishes. Some modifications can be made, providing greater opportunity for personalized space planning and design. Kitchen Views carries a number of semi-custom lines, including Dynasty by Omega, Greenfield, HomeCrest, Schrock, and UltraCraft.

Omega Kitchen Cabinets

Custom Cabinetry is constructed and finished like fine furniture that has been built with the skill and dedication of a fine craftsman. In addition, the sizes, shapes, colors, and interior options are practically infinite. With the availability of exotic woods from around the world and the ability to match the color and patina of an heirloom hutch, custom cabinets can be built to very particular specifications. The price and lead-time for custom cabinetry usually depends on the level of customization and the availability of the products and techniques required for completing each piece. Kitchen Views is proud to carry fine custom cabinetry by such lines as Corsi, Crystal, Irpinia, and Omega.

Ask your kitchen designer which cabinetry lines make the most sense for you and your budget. Some semi-custom and custom lines, such as Dynasty by Omega and Omega, can be mixed and matched to get a custom feel for considerably less money. In any case, you want to be sure that the cabinetry you decide on is the best fit for the long-term.

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Now that we are back into winter, you need be aware of how this time of year can affect your cabinets. When the heat is on, in a lot of cases, our homes get very dry. We apply lotion to our skin to stay moist, but we don’t think of the home needing moisture, as well. Your kitchen cabinets and furniture can be a sign or an overly dry (or moist) home.

If you see unfinished wood on the cabinet center panels next to the door styles and rails (door frame work), one or two edges, opposite each other, it may be a sign that the center panel has shifted (easily fixed by tapping it back into place). But, if you notice that the center panels on your cabinets are showing an unpainted or stained line (see picture below) on three or all four sides, this is a sign that the wood is drying out and shrinking. You need to get some moisture back in to the air in your home. Room or home humidifiers work well to do this.

Once you get the humidity levels back to a neutral state, you should see the lines around the center panel go away. If the panels are allowed to shrink up too much or are not controlled, they may not go all the way back and you may need to do some touch-up work. You may even notice that doors that were lying flat on the cabinet face start to cup or warp away from the cabinet face. This type of movement is normal, not a defect in the wood and is a natural occurrence; wood will always breathe and look for water.

But be careful not to introduce too much moisture into the home; it can have the opposite effect: doors can swell. Butt doors (double door cabinets where the two doors close against each other) can rub or ever start to overlap. A meter to check the moisture level of your home can be purchased for very little money.

When your cabinets are being built, every aspect is controlled, even the environment. Once you get them, it’s up to you to do the same, so you can enjoy them for many years, trouble free. So watch your cabinets; they can tell you a lot about what is going on in your home.